The Troublesome Triplets
by Don't Leave me Hanging
Summary: As you may know, the first day of school can be troublesome whether you are 6 or 66. And if you do not know, then take your parents by the hand and put them in time out for not sending you to school. For Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, the first day of school is quite troublesome indeed. Events after the fire and before meeting the Baudelaire's
1. Chapter 1

As you may know, the first day of school can be troublesome whether you are 6 or 66. And if you do not know, then take your parents by the hand and put them in time out for not sending you to school. For Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, the first day of school is quite troublesome indeed.

Chapter One:

There are many types of car rides: ones that are filled with joy and songs about a certain number of root beer on a wall, or there are the ones where you are in consent fear of a man dressed as a one eyed pirate finding you and asking for a moment of your time. My dear sister, may she rest in peace, once told me about a time when she worked as a taxi driver in the city and was in consent contact with these two types of car rides. She especially mentioned the ones where poison darts were handed to her and in which case became a third type of car ride. The one car ride I hope you may never endure is one that has to do with tears, confusion, and financial advisors.

"Your parents are very smart people: handling their profits to the city's sixth most important financial advisor," an Upper Westside, a phrase which means "snooty", voice proclaimed in the driver's side of the car currently in motion.

A boy with very dark hair and wide eyes looked up, his face looking as if he ate too many tart candies. "You mean _were_, they _were_ very smart.

The eldest of his siblings, the boy named Duncan was quite right. Less than three hours ago, he lost his dear parents in a fire that took over his family's mansion.

"Don't correct me young man! No one talks to Esmé Gigi Genevieve Squalor like that, much less a child!" Esmé Gigi Genevieve Squalor said, her face half covered by the oversize sunglasses in the ironic shape of the sun.

Duncan was about to open his mouth to argue, when he was elbowed sharply by his companion: his sister, Isadora. She gave him a look that came across as **shut your mouth.** It is quite rude for someone to give another someone looks that are not nice, but for Isadora, her thirteen years of experience with Duncan taught her that he was very argumentative and a sharp elbow to his side would shut his mouth for at least the rest of the car ride. Or until the sun shaped glasses lady talked again.

"Your parents know what the best is, and as such wanted the best for you," Esmé resumed, her voice coming out automatic and rehearsed, as if fires and death happened in her daily life.

"What is the best they had in mind for us?" Isadora asked, her eyes red rimmed from crying for two hours straight.

"The best option possible," Esmé huffed, annoyed by the pestering questions. "Now stop talking, you are making my head hurt!"

The Quagmires had no problem not talking, for no words could express their unfortunate predicament. Unlike the city's most important financial advisors glasses, the Quagmires were not bright and yellow. A fire destroyed their home and they were now whisked away in this small car to where, they do not know.

At first looking at the Quagmires, you may stop and say "now don't you two look-alike!" Usually, that may be the case for two people who are twins, or people born at the same time. But that was not the case for these two people. Duncan and Isadora did look a lot alike, but they are not twins. They are triplets, a case in which three people are born at the same time. There are only two Quagmires, yes, but we must continue with the story before I give out such depressing details.

The car came to a sharp stop, sending the two siblings forward, their heads aching from the impact.

"We are here," Esmé announced, rolling down the window.

Before them were gloomy, head stoned buildings. A chilly sensation overcoming the newly titled orphans.

"Duncan," Isadora whispered as her brother opened the door and took a step outside.

"Yes?"

"I do not believe we are in London anymore."

And that, my readers, was the absolute truth.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I am grateful for those who have read my story, it means a lot! :) I want to continue with the story for a little while longer, but I am running out of ideas fast! if you read my story and have ideas, please let me know. Enjoy. **_

Chapter Two:

More often than not, I have been hit with the pains of loosing a loved one. My dear Beatrice included in this; yet my brother insists on grieving and moving  
on. Grieving is a period of honoring a loved one in a certain time and moving on when one can bear the pain. For the Quagmire's, being placed with this odd dressed woman in front of an odd building smelling like cigars is certainly not the best way to grieve and move on after loosing their loved ones.

"How... Out this school is," Esmé huffed.

The two orphans looked at one another, confused at their advisors phase.

"Out?..." Duncan started

"I will not be seen in such a dark place," Esmé interrupted, pushing Isadora forward. "Image is everything and I have one to keep up with."

Esmé turned, her ironic sunny dress trailing behind her and left the two Quagmires in front of the gloomy building

Ironic, if you did not know my dear readers, is a word that describes a happening or situation that is the opposite of how that person is feeling or something that they said. What's ironic is despite how gloomy and depressed both the orphans and the buildings were, Esmé dress was bright and sunny.

"How ironic, she's wearing such a bright dress near a gloomy dark place," Isadora said, watching the woman race off. Isadora turned and looked back at the building with her brother. "What do you think this is?

Duncan cocked his head, Isadora following suit. "Well, there is one way to find out." And with that, walked toward the gloomy building.

The two walked hand in hand inside of the swamp of students. When I say a swamp, I do not mean the students were literally sharp-toothed, rough skinned reptiles trudging along murky lakes. I mean to say sharp-toothed, acne prone children were dragging their feet, looking for wherever they needed to be. As the doors squeaked open, all heads turned toward the triplets.

"It's a school," Isadora said, keeping her voice low. She squeezed her brother's hand tighter, her other hand trying to grasp for something not there. She turned slightly, realizing her mistake. Duncan noticed this and started forward, making sure to bypass as quickly as possible.

Whispers from the students made the two feel uneasy, as if they were nitpicking every little thing about the two without truly knowing them.

_"Who are they..."_

_"What's that their holding..."_

_"Why are they so sad-looking..."_

_Where's my mother..."_

"Duncan," Isadora whispered.

"I know," he said, turning the corner sharply.

Once in your life, if you have not met a noise so vile as nails as a chalk board, you have lived a very sheltered and satisfying life. If you have, then you know how the triplets felt when they came face to face with such a sound.

"Ouch! You ran into me you cakesniffers!" A voice like nails on a chalkboard screamed.

A head full of red curls flashed in the two triplets vision before being pushed to the wall, a small group of students following after her. Or what they make out as a _she._

"How odd," Duncan sighed.

"You mean rude," Isadora said, wrinkling her nose. "We need to find out where to go. That woman didn't tell us who to see. I am assuming the principle would be the best option."

Duncan nodded, looking toward the opposite way. A sound mixed with a dying cat and a thunderstorm hit their ears, the source unknown. "What's that?"

Isadora looked down the hall. "I think there. Lets go see what that is." Following the sound, the two stood in front of a door, the words **_Vice Principle_ Nero** faintly written on the glass of the door. "What's going on in there?"

Duncan looked worried, knocking on the door very lightly. Abruptly, the sound stopped, and with it, the door opened. There stood a stoat, pig-looking man with a scowl on his pig like face.

"**_Whooo_** dares interrupt a genus when he is performing?" He boomed.

"We are sorry sir, but we are new students and we are trying to find where to go and who to speak to," Duncan said, trying to avoid the man's anger.

_**"We are sorry sir, but we are new students and we are trying to find where to go and who to speak to,"** _Vice Principle mocked, looking at the two in disgust. "Well if you must, enter."

The two Quagmires looked at one another, not sure how to answer this strange man.

"I think we would have been better off with the Sun Dress Lady," Duncan whispered, dragging Isadora forward.

"Agreed," And with that, the two orphans entered the start of their new lives.


	3. Chapter 3

_**This one felt really long compared to the other two. Oh well :) **_

Chapter Three:

An associate of mine once said that the path to redemption is filled with many sleepless nights and countless amounts of coffee, much like myself in this cramped office building on 5th Avenue. That associate now is deceased and wherever he might be, let's hope he is repented. In this case for the Quagmires, they have nothing to repent, but must suffer through the perils that one may have to go through. I only wish they brought countless amounts of coffee.

"What brings you two twins to my sight?" Vice Principle Nero boomed.

Isadora's eyes shone slightly with tears, and was about to speak up when Duncan took lead, an expression that means "Duncan decided to talk before Isadora got emotional."

"We are here because our advisor dropped us off and I assume we are to enroll as students."

_**"We are here because our advisor dropped us off and I assume we are to enroll as students." **_Nero mimicked. "And why are you here to enroll?"

"Well... We just lost our family in a horrible fire the destroyed our home and we have nowhere to go." Isadora said, thankful she gathered courage to let her voice out.

_**"Well..."** _Nero was about to repeat when he thought about it for a bit. "So, that's where all that smoke was coming from. I thought it was some fire pit done in my honor."

Duncan looked at Isadora briefly. "So you understand our situation?"

_**"So you understand our situation?"** _Nero once again repeated, turning to sit in his chair. "I understand that a bunch of dirty twins came into my office interrupting my precious time."

"We aren't twins," Isadora said softly. She gave the back of the man's head a dangerous look before deciding to take the lead. "Sir, our advisor, Esme something of another, told us that our parents wanted the best for us and I can assume this is the best for us at this time. We were brought to this school with the assumption that you knew we were coming or else this woman is more useless than I originally thought." She sighed, all her built up emotion's being released.

Duncan looked at his sister in shock, amazed by her show of back bone. Just as Nero turned to possibly mock her, the sound of something mixed between buttons being pushed and a car horn filled the room. Nero got up, his small ankles covered up tightly, as if trying to hide something. This did not go unnoticed by Duncan, making a mental note for later. Nero lifted up a bunch of paper, from what looked like a type of telegram device and read though the notes. His eyes shot up, looking at the two before him. "I see that you are here as new students to my academy. This is Prufrock Preparatory School, an atmosphere where students are given the upmost education." His voice droned on, as if he was bored with the prospect of caring for his new additions.

"Where would we stay?" Duncan asked.

"Each student would be getting their own dorm with the return of a slip signed by their guardian"

"We... We don't have a guardian."

_**"We don't have a guardian."** _Nero mocked, back to his usual self. "Well I guess that's too bad."

"Can't you sign it," Isadora said. "You are technically our guardian."

"I am technically not, I am genius and will not be responsible for the well being of rich orphan brats!"

Duncan's eyes shone brighter, a thought appearing. "How did you know about our fortune? You didn't even ask our names."

Nero's pig nose turned bright red, his lips a firm line. He opened his mouth slightly, closing again just as fast. "I.. I am that much of a genius that I guessed who you were. Now off with you, before I take away privileges."

"Privileges? How can you do that? You aren't our guardian," Isadora huffed.

"Nevertheless, you will need a place to stay." Nero continued, ignoring Isadora. "There is a charming shack outside near the back of this building that serves for students without slips. Class starts in 30 minutes. Boy, you are room one. Other one, you are room two. Now be gone." The Quagmires left, the door creaking behind them.

What the two did not see was Nero slumping in his chair, taking his handkerchief out of his pocket, drying his forehead.

"This is where we are sleeping," Isadora said, looking at the shack in disbelief.

The two stood in front of a shed building that was leaning dangerously to the left. It was painted a sickly green color and dead grass was around the side of it.

"It can't be all bad," Duncan said. "The inside must look better if this is how the outside looks." He took his sisters hand and opened the door. Once inside, the orphans mouths dropped. This expression means that their mouths opened in shock rather than their mouths actually dropped to the ground and now they are without a mouth.

"It cant get any worse," Isadora said, looking at her brother in mock happiness.

The room was covered with a ugly green wall paper with pink hearts on them, slimy goo falling from the celling. Instead of beds or any type of furniture, there were barrels of hay in its place.

"Well look on the bright side," Duncan said. "At least we have a place to stay."

"Right," Isadora said, sitting on one of the barrels. "I would rather sleep on the cold remains of the house. At least then I would feel at home."

Duncan looked at his sister in shock again, this time in surprise. "Isadora! Don't say that! What would mother and father say if they heard you say such words?"

"I don't know, I can't really ask them, can I?" Isadora said, her voice rising with each word. Suddenly, she let out a scream, jumping from the barrel. A dozen crabs came from behind. "Crabs! How lovely!" She ran outside, Duncan trailing behind.

"Isadora! Where are you going?"

"Right here," she sat on the middle of the grass, ash forming around the ground. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Isadora buried her head and started crying. Duncan sat next to her, staring at the ground. Isadora lifted her head, her cheeks and nose bright pink. "Duncan, where's my Lord Bryan book?"

"I don't have it, Quig-"

Isadora's eyes became wider, her lips shaking. "He's gone too, Duncan! He's never coming back! Quigley is dead, Duncan." Isadora is referring to her second brother and the Quagmire's triplet Quigley Quagmire who perished in the fire along with their parents.

"Isadora," Duncan said softly. He was never good when it came to Isadora and her extreme emotions. Quigley was always the one who knew how to calm their sister down.

"Why Duncan, why did this have to happen?" She took his hand and looked him straight in the eye.

"Everything happens for a reason, Isadora, and it's only to make us stronger, not weaker." He took her other hand and they stood up together. Isadora hugged her brother tightly to her. "We have each other, that means we are still a family. A small one, but one nevertheless."

A bell rang in the distance, signaling it was time for class. The two separated, looking at the school. "Well, time for learning." Isadora said, wiping her nose. "At least there's always education, right?" The two started toward the building, trying to be optimistic in a pessimistic situation.

If only they knew what lay ahead.

_**Please review if you decide to read, I want to know what you think :) I always felt Izzy was a little sassy, being she was the only girl with two brothers XD I just hope it wasn't too OOC Thank you! **_


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